- Title: MYANMAR: Suu Kyi meets with prisoners' families
- Date: 30th November 2010
- Summary: YANGON, MYANMAR (NOVEMBER 29, 2010) (REUTERS) ***CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** EXTERIOR OF SHWE TAUNG GONG MONASTERY VARIOUS MONKS WALKING HOLDING BOWLS NATIONAL LEAGUE FOR DEMOCRACY (NLD) VICE PRESIDENT TIN OO ARRIVING NLD MEMBERS ENTERING MONASTERY HALL NLD FOUNDER AND SENIOR LEADER WIN TIN EATING AUNG SAN SUU KYI GETTING OUT FROM HER CAR SUU KYI AND SON KIM ARIS WALKING TOWARDS MONASTERY BUILDING SECURITY SURROUNDING BUILDING WIDE VIEW OF SUU KYI WALKING ON DRIVEWAY SUU KYI WALKING INTO HALL WOMEN WATCHING SUU KYI SEATED WITH HER SON AND TIN OO AT TABLE SUU KYI SPEAKING TO NLD MEMBER KIM ARIS SITTING FOOD ON PLATE VARIOUS OF SUU KYI SPEAKING TO PRISONERS' RELATIVES PRISONERS' RELATIVES WATCHING (SOUNDBITE) (Burmese) AUNG SAN SUU KYI SAYING: "Regarding the permission to see the prisoners, if this is an issue for family members or if there are any difficulties, please tell us and discuss with us. And then we will solve it systematically." PEOPLE TAKING PHOTOS (SOUNDBITE) (Burmese) AUNG SAN SUU KYI SAYING: "I want to talk to you more. Health is important for political prisoners. This is a major issue. Tell them to take care of their health. If we have good health, we can do more things." PEOPLE TAKING PHOTOS SUU KYI SPEAKING TO KYI KYI NYUNT (SOUNDBITE) (Burmese) SISTER OF POLITICAL PRISONER MIN KO NAING, KYI KYI NYUNT, SAYING: "We are so glad she is very caring with prisoners' families. She talked to us warmly. We are so grateful." SUU KYI SPEAKING TO GIRLS PEOPLE MILLING OUTSIDE HALL (SOUNDBITE) (Burmese) FORMER POLITICAL PRISONER, PHYO MIN THIN, SAYING: "Now that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has met with the families of the political prisoners, they are very encouraged and they found the energy to struggle for their families -- their sons, their daughters, their husbands, their wives. So the prisoners' families are very happy to meet Aung San Suu Kyi." SUU KYI STANDING BY CAR WITH SON ARIS AND SUU KYI ENTERING CAR CAR ON DRIVEWAY
- Embargoed: 15th December 2010 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Myanmar, Myanmar
- Country: Myanmar
- Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA9WVVHDDKUYF9YI7Z35ERA6V1A
- Story Text: Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi met with families of political prisoners in a Yangon monastery on Monday (November 29), saying her party will work to ensure their loved ones' welfare.
Accompanied by her youngest son Kim Aris, Suu Kyi shared a meal with senior leaders of her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), and spoke briefly with the prisoners' families.
"Regarding the permission to see the prisoners, if this is an issue for family members or if there are any difficulties, please tell us and discuss with us. And then we will solve it systematically," she said.
The meeting was unplanned and Suu Kyi told them that she will devote more time for them soon to discuss their concerns.
"I want to talk to you more. Health is important for political prisoners. This is a major issue. Tell them to take care of their health. If we have good health, we can do more things," she said.
Suu Kyi also said she has learnt about the conditions of monks in jail - several of whom were arrested in the 2007 protests -- and will work within the law to address their problems.
The event at the Shwe Taung Gong monastery in Yangon was meant to commemorate the death anniversary of the mother of a prominent political prisoner, Htay Kywe, who was jailed during the 1988 student protests and arrested again in 2007.
Kyi Kyi Nyunt (pron: chee-chee nyo) is the sister of a prominent political prisoner Min Ko Naing (pron: min-ko-nay), who was a student leader in the 1988 pro-democracy protests. He was detained for 15 years, and like Htay Kywe, was arrested again in 2007.
"We are so glad she is very caring with prisoners' families. She talked to us warmly. We are so grateful," Kyi Kyi Nyunt told Reuters.
There are more than 2,200 political prisoners in Myanmar, says NGO Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. Majority of the detainees are NLD members.
"Now that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has met with the families of the political prisoners, they are very encouraged and they found the energy to struggle for their families -- their sons, their daughters, their husbands, their wives. So the prisoners' families are very happy to meet Aung San Suu Kyi," said former political prisoner Phyo Min Thein (pron: fyo-min-teyng).
The U.S. advocacy group Human Rights Watch has said the military government had more than doubled the number of political prisoners since it quashed pro-democracy protests in 2007.
Several world leaders and rights groups welcomed Suu Kyi's release early this month, but demanded that the remaining prisoners also be granted their freedom. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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